Vivir Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

vivir — to live — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Vivir means to live and to be alive: vivir en Madrid, vivir solo, vivir bien. It is a regular -ir verb and the model for the whole -ir family. Vivir de is to live on or off something, and ¿dónde vives? is one of the first questions learners ask. On this page you will find vivir in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself.

Example sentences with vivir

In the present tense

  • “Yo vivo en Madrid desde 2019.” — “I have lived in Madrid since 2019.”
  • “Ella vive sola en un piso pequeño.” — “She lives alone in a small flat.”
  • “Nosotros vivimos cerca de la playa.” — “We live near the beach.”
  • “Ellos viven en una casa con jardín.” — “They live in a house with a garden.”
  • “¿Tú vives con tus padres?” — “Do you live with your parents?”
  • “Vosotros vivís muy bien aquí.” — “You live very well here.”

In the preterite

  • “Ayer yo viví un día increíble.” — “Yesterday I lived an incredible day.”
  • “Ella vivió en Londres dos años.” — “She lived in London for two years.”
  • “Nosotros vivimos en el campo de niños.” — “We lived in the countryside as children.”
  • “Ellos vivieron una experiencia única.” — “They lived a unique experience.”
  • “¿Tú viviste en otro país alguna vez?” — “Have you ever lived in another country?”
  • “El poeta vivió en el siglo XIX.” — “The poet lived in the nineteenth century.”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect — the four tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “De niño, yo vivía en Madrid desde 2019.” — “As a child, I used to live in Madrid since 2019.”
  • “Mañana, yo viviré en Madrid desde 2019.” — “Tomorrow, I will live in Madrid since 2019.”
  • “Si pudiera, yo viviría en Madrid desde 2019.” — “If I could, I would live in Madrid since 2019.”
  • “Yo he vivido en Madrid desde 2019.” — “I have lived in Madrid since 2019.”

Vivir in context

Cada día, yo vivo en Madrid desde 2019. Mi amigo también vive en Madrid desde 2019 cuando tiene tiempo. Después, yo vivo en Madrid de nuevo por la tarde. Es una parte normal de mi rutina, y por eso el presente de vivir es la primera forma que conviene aprender.

Ayer, yo viví en Madrid desde 2019. Mi amigo vivió en Madrid desde 2019 también, y por la noche yo viví en Madrid otra vez. Fue un día normal, pero es justo en días así cuando el pretérito de vivir aparece una y otra vez: una acción terminada, un momento concreto, y la historia sigue.

Common mistakes with vivir

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo vivo en Madrid — learners confuse vivir with estar.

Right: Yo vivo en Madrid.

Living somewhere is vivir en, not estar en as a permanent home.

Mistake 2

Wrong: ¿Dónde vives? — learners answer with ser.

Right: Yo vivo en Madrid.

The answer to ¿dónde vives? uses vivir, not ser.

Quiz: vivir in everyday use

Ten questions on vivir across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of vivir in the present tense?

  • A) vivo
  • B) vives
  • C) vive
  • D) vivimos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is vivo.

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of vivir in the present tense?

  • A) vivo
  • B) vives
  • C) vivimos
  • D) vive

Answer: D — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is vive.

3. What is the yo form of vivir in the preterite?

  • A) vivió
  • B) vivimos
  • C) viví
  • D) viviste

Answer: C — The yo form in the preterite is viví.

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of vivir in the preterite?

  • A) vivió
  • B) vivieron
  • C) viví
  • D) viviste

Answer: B — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the preterite is vivieron.

5. What is the yo form of vivir in the imperfect?

  • A) vivía
  • B) vivías
  • C) vivía
  • D) vivíamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the imperfect is vivía.

6. What is the tú form of vivir in the future?

  • A) viviré
  • B) vivirá
  • C) viviremos
  • D) vivirás

Answer: D — The tú form in the future is vivirás.

7. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of vivir in the conditional?

  • A) vivirías
  • B) viviríamos
  • C) viviría
  • D) viviría

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional is viviría.

8. What is the nosotros/as form of vivir in the present perfect?

  • A) ha vivido
  • B) hemos vivido
  • C) he vivido
  • D) has vivido

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present perfect is hemos vivido.

9. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ en Madrid desde 2019.” (I have lived in Madrid since 2019.)

  • A) vivo
  • B) vives
  • C) vive
  • D) vivimos

Answer: A — The sentence needs vivo.

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo vivo en Madrid.
  • B) Yo vivo en Madrid — learners confuse vivir with estar.

Answer: A — Living somewhere is vivir en, not estar en as a permanent home.

Frequently asked questions

What does vivir mean?

vivir means “to live” in English. Vivir means to live and to be alive: vivir en Madrid, vivir solo, vivir bien. It is a regular -ir verb and the model for the whole -ir family. Vivir de is to live on or off something, and ¿dónde vives? is one of the first questions learners ask.

Is vivir regular?

Yes. vivir is a regular -ir verb, so its forms follow the standard endings in every tense. That makes it a good verb to learn early — once you know the endings, you know the verb.

When do I use vivir in the past — preterite or imperfect?

Use the preterite — viví, viviste, vivió — for a finished action at a specific moment, and the imperfect — vivía, vivías, vivía — for what was happening, what used to happen, or the background. The same rule applies to vivir as to every Spanish verb; the tense changes the meaning, not the verb.

How can I practise vivir?

Start with the examples above, say them aloud, then take the quiz on this page. For more practice, use the Spanish Verb Quiz and the Vivir Conjugator, and read the full conjugation page for vivir to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo vivo…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo viví…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo viviré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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